Choosing to accept or not accept a job involves a whirlwind of emotions. This feeling is further intensified if a candidate receives more than one job offer at a time. While receiving multiple offers is not always the case, a “candidate’s market” means qualified candidates are often in serious demand and possibly interviewing with multiple companies simultaneously. While the chance to receive multiple offers sounds great, it also means a job candidate must be ready to quickly decide which opportunity is the best fit.
Ghosting Employers
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know what the best decision is, especially when salary is not the only consideration. A candidate must accept one offer and decline the others quickly and gracefully. This is something younger job seekers who like to avoid confrontation and bad news often struggle with.
Recently, the Wall Street Journal wrote about the importance of handling these decisions professionally and the long-term impact on a career when not handled well. The article shared a growing number of job candidates were choosing to ghost a potential employer rather than having a conversation to turn down an offer. The article quoted this behavior as most common in those with two to six years of work experience.
Ghosting can Haunt You
What candidates do not realize is decisions like ghosting can haunt an employee throughout their career. This is because offers and denials handled unprofessionally end up feeling personal to the recipient. In this position, it’s easy for the employer to create a story assuming other people will also act in this way. The decision to avoid confrontation can also hurt multiple people, however unintentional an action might be in the moment.
Lindsey Pollak, a consultant on multigenerational issues at work was quoted in the article saying, “This is the generation that breaks up by text message, so in a professional context to have to let someone down or give bad news is terrifying.”
Multiple Job Offers
When it comes to juggling multiple job offers, the article suggested having a professional conversation with each employer making an offer. This is the time to share gratitude for the opportunity and be upfront if multiple offers are being entertained. Ask for a small amount of time to weigh each one and negotiate a deadline for a decision with each company.
Making this effort is important for several reasons:
1). It’s professional to acknowledge each job offer made.
2). Everyone is in the loop and aware of the situation.
3). It sets a deadline allowing each party to move forward in a timely manner.
How a candidate handles these kinds of situations can impact a career now and in the future. People have long memories so professional efforts do make a difference, and actions always speak louder than words.